Sep
14
When Shakespeare’s Juliet says: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” she is telling Romeo – he of the rival Montague clan – that a name is an artificial and meaningless convention. That may be so when it comes to love (if we ignore …
Jun
29
Whenever I visit my father on beautiful Denman Island I avidly read the local newsletters. They are sources not only of information but local colour as well. In issue #982 of the Grapevine, for example, I got a chuckle from a classified ad for a lovely antique piano that needs repairs and tuning. “Bought as …
Apr
29
There we were: eight of us at the Denman Island Arts Centre for a two-day workshop called Altered Images with Victoria-based photographer and artist Tony Bounsall. I tried to swallow my panic as I wondered, “What the heck am I doing here?” What Was I Thinking? Everyone else was an experienced artist. Two of them …
Apr
11
I attended a presentation by one of the world’s leading floral designers recently. Tomas De Bruyne’s arrangements are works of art that take hours to create. I don’t think I’ll ever reproduce them but I do think all professionals can apply the Belgian designer’s tips to their practices. Doing so will certainly lead to a …
Apr
04
Our family – and 23,000 other fans – attended the season opener of the Whitecaps Football Club in Vancouver this spring break. It was a great day – the Whitecaps beat Toronto 4-2 – but I’m guessing the club won’t be holding another “Poncho Day” promotion. The idea was to create a “sea of white” …
Mar
31
An incredibly snarky email from an incredibly uptight mother is raising awareness about the credibility pitfalls of inappropriate fonts. The misbegotten missive in question is highlighted by somecards, those fine purveyors of pithy ecards and collators of social media mess-ups. The email from a mother to her daycare provider reads: Hi Becky! This is Kaylyn’s …
Feb
18
I’m testy by nature but there’s nothing like grammar gaffes to get me worked up. Here’s a list of seven common errors you should avoid – if not for the sake of my equanimity then to ensure you don’t damage your credibility with your readers, clients and all the people who don’t love you for …
Feb
01
I was at a networking presentation but it sounded more like a self-help spiel I’d expect to hear on Oprah: “Be grateful, be kind, be inspired.” “It takes teamwork to make the dream work.” “Be a catalyst for change to build a better world.” These statements may sound like they come from an inspirational speaker …
Jan
24
A few months ago, I took up the daily WonderWord puzzle to help keep sharp my brain sharp in the face of the dreaded “mental-pause” syndrome that strikes so many of us in middle age. In my daily ponderings of this word puzzle I have realized it has much to teach us about being creative …
Jan
21
When a successful carpet layer and a successful criminal lawyer share a similar philosophy – there’s probably a lesson there for the rest of us. That’s what I figured after I came across two pieces of writing in one week – one from retired carpet cleaner Malcom Connors of Victoria, B.C., the other about star …
